


These Are The Days

by Constance_Lirit



Category: Bleach, Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-21 11:09:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3690015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Constance_Lirit/pseuds/Constance_Lirit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ulquiorra x Gwen (Oc) - Gwen is confronted by a yokai and finds herself forced to give him one present every day for a week or else he will eat her. (This story references the Natsume Yuujinchou universe.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

They had told her not to go there, that it was dangerous. Gwen never really paid attention to all of the warnings though. She had come and gone from the forest for years now, and had even stayed there late into the night many times before. The woman with evergreen hair suspected that the rumours of Elves attacking people, and plants eating cattle and horses, was all drummed up when settlers attempted to over cultivate the land or cut down the sacred trees, and so she assumed she would be alright as long as she respected the area around her. Gwen had never met any of the Elves, but that was probably for the best. She had heard many stories about them being carnivorous despite their beautiful appearances; birds, rabbits, butterflies, they would eat anything that took their fancy, humans being their favoured snack if it was time for their special moon-harvest festival.

Shaking the thoughts from her mind Gwen examined a few plants that had been growing on the path she took to and from town, the white snowbells dripping with dew. She knew better than to pick any plants in the forest that were white as they belonged to the prince, Ulquiorra. The prince was supposed to be the most beautiful of the Elves, with skin as white as snow and eyes greener than the trees around the forest in the summer.  
Many tales about him involved young girls and women being lured away and turned into roses for his secret garden, but Gwen liked to think if she was to meet a fate like that he would turn her into something soft. Roses did not impose innocence onto her, perhaps beauty, but the thorns, for her, seemed to say the girls were hiding an ulterior motive. Murmuring to herself the woman continued on her way, turning her head from time to time when she thought she saw someone walking through the trees on the other side of the path. Hearing the faint ribbit of frogs Gwen wandered along the path until she came out into the clearing, the small brown creature flinging itself back into the water upon her getting too close.  
"Oh, the pond finally has frogs in it." she uttered, leaning over to try look for any just under the surface of the water. Kneeling the young woman peeped her head back over the edge, her head being drawn away swiftly once more when her hair went into the water. "Ribbit." she croaked, trying to lure them out. "Ribbit." she stated again, laughing slightly when one responded.

Leaning further out the woman croaked again before yelping when she fell into the water. Splashing about Gwen gasped and reached for the edge of the water before stopping when she grabbed onto a thin object stood firmly on land. Still spluttering she looked up, a lily pad blocking her view for a moment.  
"Frog girl." the thin man spoke, while she flew off of his leg and grabbed her mouth to stop herself shouting. "Calm yourself." he murmured passively, examining her. "The moon harvest is soon, so I am travelling around the forest telling the deity and yokai that there is going to be a celebration." he explained, while she crawled out of the water.  
Slightly confused Gwen stood and pulled the plant from the top of her head.  
"You're inviting me to a party?" she asked cautiously, putting the lily pad back onto the water's surface.  
"Yes. Just remember to bring an offering." he answered plainly.

Quietly Gwen stared at him; his green eyes, his white skin, his long ebony hair. Her head soon lowering to look at his bare chest and the streak of thick fur which lead down the centre of his chest and stomach to meet his fluffy legs, those said furry legs then leading down to a pair of clawed feet. His arms were covered in fur as well, and she could see a tail bound and wrapped several times around his waist and hips like a belt.  
"W-What sort of offering?" she enquired nervously, coming to realise who she was in the presence of.  
"Fruit or flowers I have never seen." he explained, burning his icy thin pupils into her. He certainly did not look as inviting as the tales foretold.  
"You don't want a human?" she asked hesitantly.  
"You have been near the mortals too long, frog girl." he uttered, while she merely pouted.  
"My name's Gwen, not 'frog girl'." she stated, though drew herself back cautiously when she reminded herself that she was talking to a formidable creature.  
"You even refer to yourself by a mortal name?" Ulquiorra asked, examining her bitterly. "I will assume it an insult if you do not attend with a gift far grander than anyone else's." he stated firmly, turning to leave.  
"Can't I give you a gift now? I can't go to the festival." Gwen quickly called, knowing full well that a mortal could not find the festival let alone enter it.  
"Why would I want it now?" he asked, stopping to look at her.  
"A gift of grandeur is far more special if it's given at the wrong time." she explained, peering around the pond for a gift.

To her surprise he remained stood at the spot he had stopped on, and continued to watch her blunder around until she finally came to a stop and rustled around in her soaked pockets.  
"Here." she spoke, looking down at her palm that had pocket change in it.  
"What use have I for human trinkets?" the ebony haired prince asked, observing the metal sceptically.  
"Exactly." Gwen uttered, handing it to him. "It is neither something you want, or will be given. It's special in its own way then, isn't it?" she asked, smiling a little. Ulquiorra did not respond with words, his expression was enough to tell anyone that he was not pleased.  
"Are you mocking me?" he asked, tossing it to her as she went to fumble and catch it.  
"No, of course not." she protested, steadying her feet. "You don't want a special coin?" she asked, looking down at it.  
"It would not even pass through the gates to the realm of immortals." the prince muttered, causing her to pause.  
"Then I couldn't come to your party. My clothes would be ruined." she uttered, touching her shirt.

Observing her clothes first Ulquiorra then went to speak.  
"Like any sensible demon, or creature, you would come bound in fabrics of the earth, or in the skin you were given. We feel no cold, what use do you have for those material goods?" Ulquiorra asked, raising his hand to point to the purple garment woven around her chest and hip to hang behind her before he gave her baggy pink hakama, that stopped at the knees, a sceptical look.  
"I like them." she responded, tugging at her pink scarf.  
"That is it?" he questioned.  
"I don't feel I need another reason. If I'm happy then that's all that matters." Gwen spoke, crossing her arms. "You don't look for gifts you don't want, do you?" she then asked, hitching her brow. Again he did not reply, though it did give her enough time to think of something to give him.  
"Ah, I have it!" she exclaimed, scooping a lily pad back out of the water before producing a bit of string.

After some fumbling she came over and put it on his head, the dripping plant only making his melancholic expression far more prominent.  
"What is it?" he asked, peering up for a moment before twitching his eye shut when a droplet of water hit his cheek.  
"It's to protect you from the rain." she explained, pointing to the sky. "It's from earth, it's a plant, and I bet no one else will give you that." she chuckled, though he simply took it off and glowered slightly.  
"I have no use for hats." he muttered, making her knit her eyebrows together.  
"There's no pleasing a prince." she sighed, putting it, yet again, back in the pond. "At this rate the entire forest will have been put before you, and you will have refused all of it." she added, cupping her chin. "When is the party?" she asked.  
"At the end of this week." he replied.  
"Plenty of time." she soon spoke. "Come to this pond each morning until the night of the festival, and each day I'll present you with a gift fit for a picky prince." she requested.  
"I have no time for games." he murmured, turning to leave in the direction he was going in as before.  
"Then whatever I bring to the festival you have to smile and accept, whether you like it or not." Gwen protested, turning away for a moment. "Maybe I'll make you some daisy chains and rings for your tail, horns and neck." she chuckled, while he simply paused to look at her for a moment before continuing on his way. The idea of getting daisy chains seemed like a troublesome prospect from the look on his face.

Having headed home Gwen sat in her kitchen and peered off into the distance in thought, he was not as scary as the stories lead her to believe, but he was not all that handsome either. He was attractive in a weird sort of way, but his stone-esque personality made him out to be a blistering snowstorm. The main thought going through her head however was the question of what she could give him, if he did reappear before her. She certainly was not going to the moon festival in nothing more than a few leaves. Examining her kitchen she hummed, she could not give him jewellery or clothes, and he did not seem to appreciate plants in the shape of these items either. Tapping her bottom lip Gwen wandered out into the garden with her torch and looked about in the grass, spotting a couple dandelions growing by the wall. Trying to think of something Gwen then turned her head to keep an eye on where she was going only to scream when she came face to face with Ulquiorra.  
"Why do you keep jumping out at me?!" she yelled, glaring at him.  
"It's morning." he stated, while she stood bent over and clutching her chest.  
"It's the middle of the night." Gwen hissed, drawing back some of her composure.  
"Which is the cycle for a new day." he spoke, glancing behind her to the house.  
"Are the humans asleep?" he asked, watching her turn and mutter.  
"I live here." she answered bluntly, wandering inside.  
"You live in a house?" he questioned, following her.

Coming inside he attempted to avoid catching the garlic hung from the ceiling on his horns, his head ducking ever so slightly as he walked forward and looked around.  
"By this point I assume you know what I am?" Gwen enquired, putting the lantern onto a hook to keep the kitchen illuminated.  
"A strange frog." Ulquiorra answered, touching a few of the kitchen implements around him curiously. For a demon prince, that was probably older than the earth he walked on, he was not that quick off the mark.  
"I'm a human woman." she stated, feeling as though a continued lie of this calibre may cause her to find an unfortunate fate. Taking in what she said Ulquiorra stared at her and, as usual, said nothing. His frosty emerald eyes boring into her as she waited for a response.  
"A human frog?" he asked, examining her while she tossed a flower at him.  
"No!" she grunted, clearly flabbergasted. "A normal human.".  
"And you lied to me?" he questioned, narrowing his gaze.  
"I'm sure you know what rumours exist about the Elves in that forest. You would lie to." Gwen explained. "But since you came to my house I had no other option but to tell you the truth." she added truthfully, rummaging about in her cupboards.  
"Then what were you doing at the pond speaking to those frogs?" he asked, raising his brow only slightly.  
"Y-You saw that?" she asked, her cheeks tinting a slight pink. "I was pretending to be a frog." she went on to say, rubbing the back of her head.

Yet again there was an air of silence and tense atmosphere as Gwen pondered what to say and watched him carefully.  
"And if I decide to eat you?" he asked.  
"Then I guess I'll just have to beat you off with whatever I have laying about." she replied, glancing at both a frying pan and a broom.  
"Humans." he spoke bluntly, though he made no effort to really attack her or leave.  
"Are you still looking for a gift?" she asked after a small pause.  
"You still want to give me one?" he enquired, seemingly a little surprised.  
"I said I'd give you one. I can't promise those daisy chains now though." she uttered gently, picking up a weaved crown made of thick dried vines that smelled distinctly of lavender. "Morning one's present, a crown made of vines. Lavender is great for helping you relax and sleep, perfect for any stiff and busy prince." Gwen uttered, showing it to him.  
"I have fifty different crowns." he stated, while she simply shook her head and put it on her head instead.  
"Then I guess the princess gets to wear the crown." she sighed, sliding a few strands of her green hair through the gaps in the woven crown to keep it in place.

Waiting Ulquiorra watched her fiddle around in the small room expectantly, only speaking when he felt it necessary.  
"Is that it?" he asked, while she blinked and turned to look at him.  
"One present a day until you're happy." she spoke, clicking her tongue off the roof of her mouth. "Don't be so impatient." Gwen added, sweeping the floor.  
"And on the morning before the festival?" he enquired.  
"You take what you're given and you like it." she answered firmly, nodding her head once.  
"If you do not give me something I will want before the night of the festival I will devour you." he stiffly spoke, causing her to turn and look at him.  
"So it is true. The Elves eat the flesh of humans on the day and night of the moon harvest?" she asked.  
"No. But that does not mean I wont indulge in such a thing." Ulquiorra explained, causing her to tighten her grip on the handle of her broom.  
"What will you do to me? There are so many stories of how the Elves eat other creatures. Some more frightening than others." she mumbled, not quite sure she really did want to know.  
"What would your more preferred method be?" he asked, observing her.  
"Is there really a 'preferred' option?" Gwen enquired, knitting her eyebrows together before taking a moment to think about it. "I suppose the least messy." she spoke, glancing to the ground. "I don't think any creature, even a human, should be torn apart." she mumbled.  
"I will see to it that you are eaten in a fitting way to that of a frog." he stated. For a moment she examined him, he did not seem capable of really eating someone whole, nor did he seem like he could really cast a powerful spell.  
"You'll turn into a herring and swallow me whole?" she asked, examining him.  
"Perhaps. Or perhaps I will shrink you and have you served at the festival on my dinner platter." he spoke, pondering it himself. The more they spoke about it the paler and more light-headed she became. "Or maybe I will not shrink you at all and devour you as you are now. Alive and whole." he added, making direct eye contact with her.  
"You can do that?" she asked, shuddering at the thought.  
"I'm capable of many things. I am not bound by mortal laws." he explained, turning to leave. "You have five more days to appease me." he spoke before disappearing into the shadows. What was once a casual stroll in the forest had truly turned into something chaotic.

In the morning Gwen had gone to school, her hand leaning onto her jaw as she sighed at her desk.  
"What's wrong?" one of the girls in her class asked, looking behind herself to face Gwen.  
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just trying to think of a present for a guy I know." she explained, leaning back. "He's really fussy." she added.  
"Hm, I'm not sure what guys like." the redhead uttered, peering off for a moment. "Chocolate?" she suggested.  
"That might work actually." Gwen stated, smiling a little. "I'll try that, thanks." she thanked her, seeing how much pocket change she had. After school she jogged out past the gate, dodging and apologising to a group of students she almost walked right into. On her way home she went into the Three Forest store, named so due to it having been built beside the road between the three separated forests surrounding it. Drifting around slowly she attempted to pick out a chocolate. Unsure of what to really get him she picked up as many as she could and tried to give the clerk a friendly laugh when he told her that her teeth would fall out. Stepping out with her new found chocolates in a plastic bag Gwen took a deep breath and began to head home once again, hoping that this would be enough to sedate him. On her way back the green haired woman peered down once in a while to examine a white and orange cat that was following her, though she did not pay it much mind until she got far enough out into the farm lands.  
"Are you lost?" she enquired, stopping to examine it as it simply stared back at her. Shifting her attention from the cat to her bag Gwen slowly looked back up again, a realisation coming over her thereafter. "Oh, you're hungry?" she asked, kneeling to rummage about in her bag. "How about some dried squid?" she offered, holding it out for him to take.

It did not take long for him to snatch it her after that, his head bobbing as he began eating the treat without much interest in whether or not he would choke.  
"Frog girl." a voice spoke, making her jump.  
"W-What? It's not even midnight." she stammered, turning to look around as she got to her feet.  
"Midnight?" the cat uttered, causing her to look down at him.  
"Ulquiorra?" she asked, examining the small plump creature as he simply meowed at her. Sighing Gwen then turned around to keep going. "I think I need a nap. Goodbye, Mr Cat." she uttered, wandering down the farm path again while the cat watched her leave.  
Sighing Gwen stayed up until midnight, waiting at the backdoor until a cold chill tore through her garden and Ulquiorra appeared.  
"It is time." he spoke, coming up to her.  
"Come in, I think you'll like this." she uttered, letting him go in first before she shut the door. "I got you various assortments of chocolates." she informed him as she showed the Yokai the sweets. "Chocolate?" he enquired, examining the table littered with them.  
"I wasn't sure which one you would like the most, so I got you a whole bunch." she explained, watching him with a hopeful expression.

One by one he picked up the chocolates, sniffed them, and put them back down.  
"I don't like either of them." he spoke, making her frown.  
"You haven't even tasted them." she huffed, picking one up to show him in a demanding manner. Observing her he picked one up once again and slowly put it to his mouth, his teeth piercing through the chocolate roll. "Well?" she asked, observing him curiously.  
"Too sweet." he stated, putting it down to take another one. Thereafter this process repeated until he finally seemed to like one, which, unsurprisingly, was the bitterest of the sweets she had bought for him. "I like this one." he uttered.  
"Okay." she nodded, finding the discarded wrapper before she poured a pile of the same sweet down onto the table before him from a bag. "Happy moon harvest!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly with her arms in the air.  
"Your gift is chocolate?" he asked, peering up at her with a scrutinising expression.  
"It's a human gift." Gwen uttered, nibbling on some of the other chocolates. "It's a way of expressing kindness, happiness and even love." she explained.

Having another bar of chocolate to himself Ulquiorra observed her quietly as she cleaned up the table once again and put the other chocolates away for another time.  
"Don't think you're free yet, frog girl." the demon uttered, gaining her undivided attention as she turned her head to look at him. "I gave you a gift you liked." she protested.  
"You must give me a gift I like everyday up until the night before." he answered, forcing her to stamp her foot.  
"No, the deal was that I got you something you liked and then you wouldn't eat me!" she snapped, crinkling her nose.  
"Chocolates don't last forever. I want a gift that I can look at continuously." he responded calmly, standing up as she chased after him.  
"You're not being fair!" she yelled, watching as he suddenly took off into the air and flew away in between the trees.


	2. Final Chapter

The next day in school Gwen stared out onto the forest from the top floor window with a face of thunder, nothing seemed to be taking the bitter taste off of the tip of her tongue.  
"What's wrong this time?" the girl from yesterday enquired, wandering up to Gwen.  
"Apparently he wants something that lasts forever." she sighed, rubbing sleep out of one of her eyes.  
"Write him a poem, or a song." the girl suggested, heading into the classroom whilst Gwen continued to frown a little. She doubted Ulquiorra would like a poem or song written for him. In Art class Gwen had taken a rock in from outside and had started carving a poem into it, which was harder than she had first imagined as they kept breaking when she chiselled too hard. Going through numerous rocks the young teenager eventually found the bell to go home had rung but she was certain she would not leave until the task was done. Working late into the evening Gwen had accidentally fallen asleep in the room, her cheek squished against the side of the rock as she snored quietly. Twitching and mumbling the green haired teenager sighed, her body tensing when she was stirred awake by someone gripping her shoulder.  
"Five more minutes." she complained, taking their hand to pull it against her face. It was soft, furry and pleasant to the touch at first but when reality set in it only made Gwen fly out of her seat. "Is it midnight?!" she questioned, confused and disorientated by the whole experience.  
"No. You didn't come home so I came looking for you." the ebony haired Yokai uttered, watching her catch her breath and sort herself out.  
"Oh." Gwen sighed, examining the rock she had just finished before dozing off. "Your fourth present is a poem carved into a rock." she uttered, picking up the small slab of stone.  
"A poem?" he asked, taking it to examine. "In moonlight bathed, with crown atop, there sat the Elfin king. His robes of silk were spider-spun, his crown was burnished gold. His emerald eyes, so clear and young, at once so wise and old." he recited in a murmur, peering down at her thereafter.  
"A poem written by a human poet I'm fond of." she spoke, yawning a little.

Standing up Gwen stretched and picked up her school bag.  
"Since you can fly, and you've been mean to me the past few days, can't you fly me home?" she asked, peering at him.  
"The humans would see you flying." he stated, but Gwen simply looked to the dark sky outside.  
"At least walk me home. I can't give you presents if something happens to me." she uttered, leading him out of the school.  
"You're leaving it a bit late to go home, Gwen." spoke one of the teachers who had stayed late, but she just smiled at him.  
"It's alright, I've someone walking me home." she explained, gaining a simple nod as he let her out. The forest was quiet at this time, her feet being the only thing that crunched across the ground. Ulquiorra on the other hand did not make a sound, but that was perhaps because he was not mortal.  
"It's really nice out here." she spoke, looking up at the sky while Ulquiorra just continued to stare at the back of her head. Stopping at her door Gwen peered back at the prince.  
"Thanks for walking me home." she uttered, smiling at him gently. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess?" she enquired, while he simply nodded and disappeared as he did the other night. Trudging inside Gwen shut the door and locked it, her feet scraping off the floor as she headed upstairs and ran herself a bath. Taking a deep breath the green haired teen groaned and disappeared under the water, her head leaning back so that she could examine the ceiling. Part of her had began to hope that he would bring her a gift at some point as a thank you. She was pretty sure that was not about to happen though. Finally relaxing into the bath Gwen had began to fall asleep again, but this was disrupted quickly.  
"I forgot to tell you something." Ulquiorra spoke, making her jolt in the bathtub and scream as she turned to throw her scrub brush at his face.

A few minutes later Gwen was sitting in her bathtub with her arms crossed, far angrier than ever before, while Ulquiorra stood outside with a red mark burnt into the centre of his face.  
"Learn to knock!" she shouted, having nothing more to throw at him to keep him outside. "What do you want anyway?" she asked, knitting her eyebrows together as she got up to get out, she had probably soaked enough now anyway.  
"I found a way in which you can come to the harvest moon festival." the prince explained.  
"Why would I want to go?" Gwen enquired, drying herself off with a towel as much as she could before she picked up her bathrobe and tied her hair back using a hair towel.  
"You have no decision in the matter." the prince stated, taking a step back as Gwen opened the bathroom door and came outside.  
"I think I do after you walked in on me in the bath, you pervert." she hissed, just about ready to throw something else at him.  
"I've no interest in you physically." he stated casually, following her around.  
"And I've no interest in going to the moon harvest festival." she grumbled, flinching when he cornered her and came to stand against her.

From this position Ulquiorra stared at her for a short period of time, while Gwen refused to falter against his demands as he did so. Tensing up completely when he grabbed either side of her face the woman squealed and punched him as hard as she could when he licked both of her eyes.  
"Ew!" she shrieked, trying to rub the spit off of her scrunched up face. "You're disgusting!" she squeaked, hitting him in the chest yet again, which did more damage to herself than him. "Why would you lick my face?!" she demanded, trying to open her eyes.  
"So that you can see Yokai." he explained.  
"Licking my face helps me see monsters?" she asked, still rubbing her face. "I don't want to see them." she protested, looking up at him. "Seeing you is enough." she grumbled, catching the green of his eyes glint for a moment. Had that comment angered him?  
"I will expect my fifth present tomorrow." he stated passively, whipping off into the shadows in such a way that she had to hold her dressing gown down so it did not fly up.  
What confused Gwen the most was the fact that she could see him but not other demons, why did she need him to lick her face before she could see other Yokai? Such a question churned around in her head all the way up until she fell asleep, and continued once she awoke that next morning. On the way to school nothing seemed different, but she did stop to examine a pair of strange creatures following a student along the road. When they paused to look at her she attempted to pretend she could not see them by examining the cat she had fed before.  
"So you own that cat?" she enquired, kneeling to pet him for a moment.  
"Oh, you've met Nyanko-sensei?" he asked, watching the strange green haired girl stand up again.  
"He followed me for a little while until I fed him. He's cute." she uttered, waving goodbye to them before she carried on her way.

They were behind her for most of the trip, as it seemed they went to the same school, and occasionally she could hear the two demons speaking to the boy, who seemed to be named Natsume, though she tried not to make it obvious she was listening in. Gwen almost squealed when something ran out of the field past her feet though, and she froze all at once when she looked behind herself to the four sets of eyes staring at her with bewildered expressions. "I think a mouse ran past my feet." she uttered, laughing nervously before stilling for a moment. Their expressions did not change much, causing her to become flustered as she bowed and ran off down the road. By the time she had finally gotten to school she was out of breath, and jumping at the slightest thing. Even the teacher putting her books down made her flinch, which was only funny for everyone else in the class.  
"You're really jumpy today." the girl chuckled, turning to look at her during break. "Did you see a ghost or something? I heard you stayed here really late last night." she gossiped, gaining a simple shake of the head from Gwen. "No, I'm just tired I suppose." the green haired teen explained, laughing nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. Later into the afternoon Gwen had come across a group of girls yelling about a horrible big rat that had come through the window, and upon further inspection she found herself confronted by, not a big rat, but a massive bat.  
"Ulquiorra?" she enquired, flinching when the bat launched itself into her arms.  
"Ew, ew! Why are you holding it?!" the girls protested, looking at the black and white creature.  
"It's just a bat. He's not going to hurt you.. I think." she murmured, only making the girls squeal far louder than before. Bringing him somewhere far quieter Gwen put him down on one of the unused desks in a dusty classroom and narrowed her gaze, he had better have had a good explanation for coming here.  
"I want my present." he bluntly uttered while the young woman just deepened her frown.  
"You're getting earlier and earlier." she murmured, rustling about in her bag before producing a small rock.  
"You hold it and it changes colour depending on how you feel. Since you seem disconnected from your own emotions this might come in handy." she mused, allowing him to take it after he had turned back into his original form.

Holding it in his palm he eventually opened his hand only to discover it had not changed colour, making Gwen hum and take it to test on herself. Upon opening her hand it had changed for her, the dark red colour glistening in the weak light.  
"What a useless stone if it only works on humans." he grumbled, being given it back.  
"Too bad." she murmured, shutting her bag again.  
"Your attitude is beginning to wear thin on me." he uttered, causing her to turn and glower at him. "My attitude?" she asked, ready to complain at him before pausing to think it over. Arguing with him was probably going to get her nowhere at this rate, causing her to contemplate a different method of action. Lolling her body forward Gwen placed her hands on either side of the table and examined him, the edges of her lips curling a little more than usual as she leaned in. "I guess I have been a little harsh." she murmured, sliding her fingers up his hand and arm. "I have a special present for you tomorrow." she uttered, leaning in closer to his face.  
"Gwen, what are you doing?" came a teacher's voice.  
"I was trying to get a window open! A bat flew in!" she practically shouted, whisking around whilst pointing at the now empty desk before flicking her head about to look around. "Oh, it's gone." she stated, being ushered out of the unused room before the roof or floor collapsed.

Having been told off continuously for a good fifteen minutes Gwen left the principles office black-a-fronted, her eyebrow twitching slightly as she found the nearest bathroom to sit in for a minute and calm down.  
"Do all humans say such pointless things?" the demon asked, appearing to land on the toilet in front of her in the cubicle that she had locked herself within.  
"Please leave me alone." Gwen murmured quietly, dabbing a bit of toilet paper against her eyes.  
"Do you want me to spook them?" he then enquired, drawing a look of confusion from her saddened features.  
"No, it doesn't matter. I shouldn't have been in that classroom anyway." she sighed, leaning against the bathroom stall door. "Why did you come back, you're not going to lick my face again, are you?" Gwen asked hesitantly, eyeing him up and down cautiously.  
"I came to return the stone, it's of no use to me." he explained, but she did not reach to take it.  
"It'll come in use to you some day, maybe you can give it to a princess." she uttered, opening the door to the cubical to leave. Following her he peered down at the stone, finding himself increasingly curious as to what she was going to give him on the final day.  
"Or did you come here expecting me to continue our discussion from before?" she asked, washing her hands unnecessarily.  
"It was remotely entertaining." he stated matter-of-factually, though she simply shook her head and picked up her school bag.  
"You'll have to wait until tomorrow but feel free to come over earlier if you want to hang out or something. You just come and go, we don't really talk." she informed him, leaving the girls bathroom. "Don't stay in here, pervert." she murmured under her breath, feeling him dart past her in his usual hurry. A few guys cheering when the sudden wind lifted Gwen's skirt up and made her yelp in surprise.

As she left the school that Friday afternoon Gwen was surprised to find Ulquiorra waiting for her, but he was stood at the gates in a form that everyone could see, and she would be damned if she did not think everyone was staring at him.  
"He's so creepy." she could hear some of the younger girls whispering, while others just stared at Gwen as she came towards him and waved a little.  
"What are you doing?" she asked through a bitten tongue, trying to be as friendly as possible around every watchful eye and ear surrounding her.  
"I decided I'd walk you home. We can spend more time together." he stated bluntly in his usual cold monotone that only made the numerous people, that already found him strange looking, all the more freaked out.  
"Oh." Gwen spoke, trying to whisk him away from the gates as fast as possible. Bringing him back to her house Gwen sighed and put her bag and coat away before going to make herself some tea, her eyes turning to peer down at the hole in Ulquiorra's chest curiously. "No one saw that, did they?" she asked, pointing to the hole as he peered down at it.  
"Only you can see it." he answered, causing Gwen to sigh with relief.  
"Do you want some tea?" she asked, seeing him nod after some thought. "I'm kind of surprised you know what tea is, since you dismiss anything human related." she uttered, putting water into her kettle.  
"Tea leaves are not human exclusive." he stated.  
"Neither are coco beans." she responded, raising her eyebrow.  
"That is not a native plant." he uttered, playing with a small ornament on the dinner table.  
"I guess not." she admitted, mulling it over. "I'll get you some coco seeds, then you can make your own chocolate and coffee." she uttered, his head simply raising so that he could look at her. "Coffee?" he asked, causing Gwen to blink.  
"Oh, you wouldn't know what that is, would you?" she murmured, rummaging around for the jar of coffee grains she kept for late night emergencies.

Brewing him a small cup of the dark beverage she placed it before him, and was quite astonished by his pupils narrowing at just the smell alone. Taking a small sip he recoiled his head and examined the liquid as it began to settle.  
"It's very strong and bitter." he spoke, drinking the rest of it without much effort. "Pour me more." he demanded, but Gwen just stared at him bluntly. "Please." he then spoke begrudgingly. Sufficed to say, the young woman regretted giving him all that coffee by the end of the evening, as he was darting about touching everything he could get his hands on and asking a million-and-one questions as he went.  
"Yokai and coffee don't mix." she spoke, cringing upon the sound of shattering glass from the living room. "I broke something, tell me what it was." he uttered, poking his head in.  
"I don't want to know what you broke this time." she sighed, rubbing her eyes as she pushed her face further into her hand. Entering to examine her he listened to her murmur a little.  
"Are your eyes bothering you?" he enquired, her head bobbing as she nodded a little before flinching when he grabbed her face like last night. Licking her eyes like before he pulled away, a groan parting her lips as she tried to dry them again. "Does that feel better?" he asked, observing her as she slowly stopped fussing over what he had just done to think about it.  
"Yeah, a little bit." she uttered, opening and shutting her eyes. Looking up at the clock Gwen sighed, it was almost time for bed, but even as she went to get ready for bed Ulquiorra was still following her about. Using the chance to get changed when he wandered down the hall to look at some of the other empty rooms the young woman yanked her sleeping clothes from the chair she had left them on.

It was a foolish thing to do however, as he had quickly came back up the corridor and had wandered in on her as she was just slipping on her nightdress.  
"Why do humans wear clothes under their clothes." he asked, referring to her underwear.  
"Because it's hygienic, I guess." Gwen murmured, far too tired to throw more things at him that would only break.  
"What is that?" he asked, examining the bed.  
"It's a bed, haven't you seen one before?" the woman asked, getting into it to get comfortable. She almost slapped him senseless when he got in with her and lay there on his back staring at the ceiling light though. Laying there Gwen began to chuckle gently, and then giggle and writhe about before she turned over and shuffled away from him.  
"Why are you laughing?" he asked, observing her.  
"Your fur tickles." she whispered, finding a better angle to sleep at. Feeling the bed shift Gwen opened her eyes and peered at Ulquiorra, who had taken on his bat form. Finding it far easier to get comfortable on the single bed now the young teen began to sprawl out, her nose tucked up under the demon while her hand cupped his back to hold him against her face. "This is surprisingly soothing." she murmured, snuggling into his fur with a small blush. "Night." she spoke, while Ulquiorra's eyes remained open and watching her drift off to sleep.

Furrowing his brow Ulquiorra slowly opened his eyes and peered at the sky, a look of hidden confusion slowly coming across him as he sat up to look around the forest.  
"Where am I…" he murmured, rubbing his face gently.  
"Where is it, where is it?" he heard someone call, gaining his attention as he stood up to peer up over a hill. "A dream?" he enquired, seeing a far younger version of Gwen sifting through the water at a patch of rice crops. Slipping down the hill to come to the water's edge the Yokai examined the small child, a look of panic covering her face as she dunked her arms back into the water.  
"What are you looking for?" he asked, but she did not respond. "I can't leave without it." she wept, tripping over and becoming soaked to the bone. "Shoot." she gasped, getting up quickly.  
"Gwen!" someone shouted, making her flinch. "What are you doing?" a woman enquired, taking her by the wrist to drag her away from the crops.  
"No wait, I lost my ring!" she pleaded, struggling to get out of the woman's grasp to no avail.  
"You shouldn't have been in the water playing anyway." the faceless woman scolded, picking up her school shoes on the way along the path.  
"No, I want to stay here. Just a little longer!" the green haired child protested, fading into the distance.

Watching the world grow restless the dream soon departed, releasing the demon from its grasp so that he could open his eyes and examine the panelled ceiling of the bedroom he was in.  
"Human's have such pointless dreams." he murmured, tilting his head to the side to look at the sleeping girl still resting beside him. In the morning Gwen had been going about the kitchen making breakfast while Ulquiorra sat at the table observing her, his emerald eyes occasionally peering down at the food she had put in front of him.  
"If you don't eat it it'll get cold." she spoke, pouring milk into a bowl on her side of the table.  
"Is this my gift?" he asked, peering at the bacon and eggs.  
"No, it's your breakfast." she responded dryly, putting the milk carton back into the fridge with a small thud. Sitting down she pulled her seat in and put her hands together for a moment, thanking some unknown entity before she began to eat. Motioning for the bacon he picked it up and nibbled on the edge, while Gwen simply watched without specifically looking at him. A small chuff passing her lips as he practically inhaled the food, his eyes soon lolling up to look at her as she tried to hide her amusement by sticking the spoon into her mouth.

Observing the young woman Ulquiorra followed her around, his emerald eyes lolling about the town shops when they went into the city for the day. There were numerous glass windows with clothes and other man-made items on the other side, all of which the Yokai took several minutes to stare at before Gwen tried to pull him away. In a few of the shops the ebony haired man came to the conclusion that he did not like clothes shops, as Gwen had stuck shirts, hats and even mittens on him and taken several pictures for her own amusement. All the while Ulquiorra annoyed her in return by asking her to buy him the most expensive looking items he could see. At one point they went past a pet shop where the demon paused to have a good look at a parrot perched outside in a large cage.  
"Can I have this?" he asked, while Gwen gave him a simple look.  
"What would you want with a parrot?" she enquired, sticking her finger through the bars to ruffle its plumage a little.  
"It looks delicious." he responded in a plain voice, making Gwen laugh nervously when the shop keeper gave them a conspicuous glance over.  
"That's a great joke, Ulq'!" she force-laughed, pulling him away from the front of the pet shop. Ignoring any of his attempts to clarify that he was not joking Gwen finally shut him up with an ice lolly further down the street where they had stopped to sit on the short wall of a water fountain.  
"Ah." she sighed, stretching out her tired legs and wriggling her sore toes. "I think I'll take the train back." she murmured, massaging her knees.  
"Humans get tired too easily." he uttered, perched beside her on the wall with the lolly dripping onto his fingers. He did not seem to notice however, while Gwen got out a handkerchief to wipe the red juice off of his hand and shirt gently. Silently the prince watched her clean him and then go back to staring off into space, the teen only really raising her head now and again to look at someone she thought she recognised before she went back to daydreaming.  
"We should probably be going." Gwen uttered, finally standing up to stretch and shake off the hazy expression.  
"Very well." Ulquiorra uttered, standing up to follow her yet again.

For the rest of the day until the sky began to turn a soft shade of orange they had hovered around the shops, stopping at a restaurant to eat as they went before heading home on the train. Resting on the seat Gwen had began drifting off, her head lolling to the side as her body began to slump over until she was leaning onto Ulquiorra. Occasionally she would mumble to herself while the demon stared out the window on the other side of the train to keep an eye on the passing farmland. Beginning to recognise the forests he soon woke the young woman up and waited for her to stand up before he followed her. Back at her house Gwen seemed to be more awake, the brisk air clearing her mind as he reminded her that she had still not given him the last gift as she went into the living room.  
"Wait here." she spoke, disappearing down the hallway. Waiting for her the demon glanced about, his head turning to examine her as she sat down with something hidden behind her back. "I decided to give you something a little different tonight. It was nice spending the day with you in town." the young girl uttered, a slightly shy expression crawling up her features. "Well, here you go." she stated at a hundred miles an hour, shoving a potted dandelion into his arms before leaning into kiss his cheek. Drawing herself away from him slowly Gwen got up and darted off to go upstairs, shouting something about seeing him at the festival. Fixating his emerald eyes on the golden flower the thin Yokai tilted his head up and put it down on the coffee table before heading to the steps to come after her. The green haired teenager had been hiding in her room at the time, her skin prickling when Ulquiorra came through the doorway to look at her.  
"So that is all of the gifts?" he asked, examining her as she nodded and turned away from him slightly. "I can't say I'm pleased with all of them." he commented, stepping closer to her.  
"You're far too picky." she responded, frowning a little as she remained slightly nervous. "The original deal was that I got you a present that you liked anyway." she mumbled, tensing when she felt him bump against her side.  
"That did not allow you to neglect the gift choices." Ulquiorra stated, taking her cheeks in his hand to get her to face him.  
"I didn't 'neglect them'. You just don't like anything you're given." Gwen retorted, crinkling her eyebrows together.  
"Hn." he merely responded, leaning in to kiss her on the lips.

Fidgeting Gwen tried to pull away, though his hand kept her in place without much effort. Gulping she made a muffled noise into his mouth, the squirming from before ceasing as she just stood there.  
"With no days left it's time I decide if I should kill you or not." he finally spoke, examining her thoroughly. "I think I'll let you live." he spoke after a long pause, letting her go so that she could distance herself from him. "As long as you give me gifts every day on the same week as the moon harvest from now on." he stated, while she slowly nodded in agreement of his proposition. "Very well, goodbye." he stated, disappearing out of the window before she could even speak to him. Staring out the window at the forest Gwen frowned a little, somewhat expecting him to come back at any moment until it was finally midnight and he did not show up. In fact he did not show up again until that next year, on the first day of the week before the moon festival as he had promised. Each time he had showed up he had not changed in the slightest, whereas Gwen had slowly aged and changed in appearance numerous times, and by the time she was thirty Ulquiorra had found himself staring at her when he showed up at her door.

Gwen had never really seen herself having to remind him that humans aged rapidly compared to him, and as she explained it to him she seemed to almost feel minor fear in his voice.  
"Humans do have a short lifespan." he reiterated, examining her closely.  
"Sadly." Gwen responded, giving him a small smile in an attempt to console him while his expression grew firm. "What's with that look?" she enquired, giving him a lop-sided pout.  
"Then I cannot leave it any longer." he stated, confusing her a little.  
"What do you mean?" she enquired, looking at the dandelion he seemed to pull from nowhere.  
"Come to the immortal realm with me. You can become a dandelion." he stated, while she simply gave him a small expression of surprise before she giggled a little.  
"Don't be silly, I wouldn't make a good flower." she responded, while he just continued to give her a serious stare.  
"Then come and live with me there." he tried again.  
"And grow old in front of you?" she enquired, frowning softly.  
"The land of the immortals stops all ageing." Ulquiorra stated, gaining a soft sigh from Gwen. "Ulquiorra, I'm a human. I can't become immortal, that's not what I was born for." she murmured, cupping his hand between her own on her lap.

Stiffening the demon narrowed his gaze slightly, his body leaning in towards her.  
"You would honestly refuse my offer?" he murmured, examining her.  
"It's not that I want to refuse your offer, it just wouldn't be right." she explained. "Immortality is given to you because you've done something, or you're born into it. A frog can't become a princess." she uttered, while he just gave her a sharp stare.  
"Then I will remain here and age with you." he stated firmly.  
"You know you don't age, even in a place where things die of old age all the time." she gently spoke, reaching her hand up to pull his head onto her shoulder and stroke her fingers through his ebony locks.  
"Then I'll take you back to the immortal realm by force." Ulquiorra uttered, wrapping his arms around her as his wings burst forth from his back and he began to lift her off of the ground.  
"How is that fair?" Gwen scolded him, trying not to fall when she felt her feet lift off of the ground.  
"And remaining here is?" he asked, stilling to hold her.  
"Do you really want to spend an eternity with me?" she enquired, glaring up at him.  
"Yes." he calmly responded, watching the glower on the face fade the longer she stared into his flickering green orbs.

Quietly she examined him, her feet finally touching the ground again.  
"You'll become bored of me." she murmured, escaping his grip once he seemed to have calmed down.  
"I'm prepared to deal with that when the time comes." the ebony haired demon uttered, observing her expression grow weak.  
"I can't go like this, my clothes would disappear." she spoke, pulling at her shirt. "My friends would wonder where I went." she added, beginning to worry about things that Ulquiorra believed to be unnecessary.  
"You'll make new friends." he uttered in his usual placid tone. "As for clothes, I will bring you something that will not deteriorate." he added, drawing her towards the window.  
"How are you so sure about this?" she questioned, gasping when he pulled her out and into the air.  
"I've mulled it over for a while now." Ulquiorra responded, flicking his wings to gain a little more height.  
"And if I told you I was scared?" Gwen asked, while he continued to watch where he was going.  
"I wouldn't expect more from a human." he murmured, while she squeezed herself further against him and pouted at the insult.

Landing in a small patch of open grass Gwen glanced around, this place did not seem all that special. Her curiosity merely increased moments later when Ulquiorra shifted his hand into the air and began to twitch his fingers, her mouth opening at the sight of a blinding white light slowly cutting through the air and shadows. Squinting her eyes the woman felt his hand grip hers, causing her to look at him once she had adjusted herself to the light.  
"Let's go then." he uttered, drawing her towards the light as she came to lean into him nervously.  
"You'll stay close to me right?" she asked, not quite sure where they were going.  
"Always." he responded calmly, feeling her hand tighten around his as they disappeared into the light. All that was left to say they had been there after that was small orbs of light that slowly drifted towards the ground and began to fade, the breeze that was intense settling once more to gently swim through the trees.


End file.
